Using what he had learned from the gale force in whirlwind spear and the shadow symbol structures of a light breeze, Nico attempted a light breeze spell. Within thirty seconds of gathering the shadow symbols with Minko, Nico generated a light breeze.

The breeze dispersed quickly, but it was capable of knocking over light objects within three meters. Anything beyond three meters could still feel the residual air floating by.

Nico held up a leaf with his left hand and aimed his wind spell toward it. The breeze shot out, shooting the leaf three meters away before it floated away with the natural breeze. Nico aimed at another leaf. The leaf flew three meters, and then another 1.5 meters. Nico had used two MP.

Nico tried again.

The following leaf flew three meters, 5.5 meters, and then slightly over 6 meters.

Nico had used three MP this time, but adding additional MP moved the leaf only slightly further away. Nico adjusted some of the numbers of shadow symbols from the wind spell, and recorded the varying degree of strength in his journal. A light breeze could travel between to 2–5 m/s depending on the shadow symbol formula.

After Nico felt confident with his light breeze wind, he attempted to emulate the winter gust. The structure of the wind gust differed from the light breeze even though they both had similar shadow symbols. After another week, Nico created the Wind Gust. Although the ones he had emulated didn't have the coldness of the winter gust, it was stronger than the light breeze. The leaf traveled twice as far and he could even move a little rock 3 meters away.

After creating Saturn, Nico used the node to cast spells rather than Minko. He didn't have much opportunity to practice creating spell, so the ball of light was his first attempt. Nico could only extend Saturn's ring out a meter away from his body, but he had better control than when he was instructing Minko. Nico mentally moved the ball of light from above him to a location near his left ear.

Beyond a meter, everything was still pitch black. Nico knelt down to clip the manaherb. After packing the manaherb into his leather bag, Nico let the light naturally fade away.

Nico continued to follow Junior and Snowy deeper into the forest.

Junior stopped and jumped on top of Nico, licking him in the cheek.

"People?" Nico wondered.

Nico was curious, it was rare to encounter people. Hunters who usually hunt at night were strong. Nico wanted to see how other hunters deal with manabeasts at night.

He slowly walked toward the direction Junior had indicated. Snowy and Junior both jumped on his back, on top of the leather bag.

He heard metal clas.h.i.+ng deeper in the forest.

A fight? Nico hesitated to continue further, but his curiosity got the best of him.

Nico jumped on top of the trees, from one branch to the next. When he was within range, he watched the fight happening below.

There were four people heavily injured and possibly dead on the forest floor. Their torch burned into the surrounding leafy coverage, but the wet forest surface prevented it from spreading any further. Nico could barely see the faces of the two men fighting each, but they were strong pract.i.tioners, possibly late foundation stage.

Nico waited atop the branch and didn't interfere. It was difficult to tell what the situation was and what had led to the fight. As the men continued to clash, Nico sensed some smaller manabeasts running away, but there were stronger manabeasts heading their way.

The two men would likely die if they continue to clash.

"Isse! You d.a.m.n traitor, you're going to get us killed!" Cried one of the men in a low angry whisper. It was pointless to keep silence, but he whispered out of habit.

Nico's hearing was unusually sharp, and could still make out their conversation.

"That's the point," Isse grinned with a tinge of madness. "Leslie, have you ever wondered why I have asked you to hunt at night?"

Leslie had allowed Isse to join their party a year ago. Isse was down on his luck, and Leslie felt partially responsible even though the situation that occurred to Isse's family was caused by the previous generation.

A few days prior, the party had a meeting to prepare for their next hunt. Isse had suggested a night hunt using a familiar route. Although the party was initially against the idea, Isse had convinced them that the hunt would be quick and worth the effort.

Leslie realized that this was planned from the beginning.

"What is this all about!?" Leslie growled in confusion.

Isse stared at the woman laying on the floor.

"Not only have you taken away my position in the clan, you've taken the only woman I have cared for! Do you think I will let you get away with it!?" Isse shouted angrily.

"You're crazy!" Leslie screamed, not caring about the incoming manabeasts anymore. "The clan has has always designated me as a core member and Gemma is my finance! If you had a problem, we could have settled it with a duel! Is there a need to drag her into this!?"

"Hahaha!" Isse laughed manically, echoing throughout the forest. "You do not know how long I have planned this! Had it not been your family scheming, my father would have been an elder already!! My father would still be alive and my mother would not have committed suicide! Everything is your fault!"

"This has nothing to do with me and Gemma!" Leslie wondered why he was trying to reason with a crazy man.

Isse charged madly at Leslie.

A powerful fireball burst out, hitting Isse's back. Isse was stunned by the sneak attack, but before he could even think, a knife was dislodged into his neck.

Isse dropped to his knees, and blood trickled down, staining the forest floor.

It happened so quickly that even Leslie could not see what was happening. Leslie sensed the manabeasts charging quickly toward the smell of blood.

Leslie could only thank the stranger with both his palms held together. He surveyed the three bodies and grabbed everything precious from their body. He then bent down to carry an injured woman and quickly exited out of the forest.

Nico jumped down and surveyed the remaining three bodies and Isse, they were all dead. Junior and Snowy noticed Nico's hands visibly shaken as he felt Isse's pulse.

A pack of ten giant manahyenas closed in.

Nico stood up, and paused for a moment. He took out four talismans, burned the bodies and quickly fled the scene.

Junior and Snowy led Nico back to the location of the small crevice.

Junior and Snowy cuddled gently into Nico's hands. They could feel his hands still shaking uncontrollably. They didn't understand why their master looked so frightened, he was never like this before.

Nico leaned against the tree and petted the twins soft fur to calm himself down. Nico meditated to clear his thoughts.

It was really a magical world.